The present invention concerns a connection device for establishing a coupling appropriate for transmission of an electrical or optical signal between a first connector piece and a second connector piece.
In order to be able to connect optical cables comprising one or several optical fibers (optical waveguides) so that an optical signal transmission can occur, connector pieces that provide optical contact zones can be mounted on the cable ends. These contact zones comprise level surfaces, for example, at which the respective optical fibers terminate. When these contact zones are optimally positioned with each other, a signal transmission of relatively high quality can be achieved. To establish such signal transmissions, connection devices of the type mentioned at the outset serve as connections that function like plug connectors and, when used appropriately, ensure that the optimal contact position between both connector parts is found.
In one essential application, the connection device is permanently mounted on an optical device or instrument to which the first connector piece, which is mounted to a cable, is to be connected from outside. In contrast, the second connector piece is already connected to the permanently installed connection device from inside. Since the purity of the optical signal increases and decreases with the quality of the connection attained, it is particularly important to clean the connector pieces regularly, especially their optical contact zones. If the connection device is installed in an appliance, cleaning the second connector piece, which has been mounted from inside, proves to be relatively difficult since it is either inaccessible or just difficult to access from the outside through the connection device. Cleaning is laborious as a result and requires considerable skill and precision. Since cleaning needs to be carried out regularly and relatively often to ensure a reliable signal transmission, the user often loses valuable time doing so.
The present invention deals with the issue of providing an embodiment for a connection device of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the second connector piece can be cleaned with relative ease.
This problem is solved by means of the object of the independent claim. Preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims.
The present invention is based on the general notion of designing a socket provided to hold the first connector piece relative to a base provided to hold the second connector piece movable transverse to the plug direction of the first connector piece. Through this provision, the second connector piece, which is mounted in the base, can be removed for cleaning purposes by means of appropriate adjustment of the socket such that cleaning the second connector piece can be carried out with relatively little effort. The result is extreme simplification and time saved. This makes it possible especially to shorten the intervals between cleanings without too much time lost, whereby overall quality of the signal transmission can be maintained permanently at a relatively high level, even when connections are frequently changed. Particularly in connector parts for optical signal transmission, the optical contact zone of the second connector piece can be made easily accessible for cleaning by moving the socket.
According to a special embodiment, the base can provide several guide elements that stick out from the base in plug direction, wherein at least one of the guide elements is arranged on each side of the second connector piece relative to the adjustment direction of the socket, wherein the guide elements interact with the first connector piece when plugging it in to laterally guide in the plug direction, wherein the socket provides recesses corresponding to the guide elements and wherein the guide elements penetrate through and/or penetrate into the corresponding recesses when adjusting the socket into its function position. This construction simplifies locating the optimal relative position between both connector pieces with the help of the guide elements. In addition, these guide elements can be designed with very tight position tolerances on the base, in particular if the guide elements are produced as a single unit with the base. Secondly, when the first connector piece is plugged in, a positive-fit lock of the socket occurs automatically in its function position by means of these guide elements such that it is not possible to move the socket into its cleaning position when the first connector piece is plugged in without destroying the connection device. This measure allows active forces to be exerted onto the first connector piece to prevent stress between the contacting connector pieces.
In a subsequent design, at least one dowel pin can be arranged on the second connector piece that sticks out from the second connector piece in plug direction, wherein at least one pin opening is arranged on the first connector piece complementary thereto. In such an embodiment, two of the guide elements are positioned such that they align in the adjustment direction of the socket with each other and with the dowel pin, wherein the guide elements then stick out from the base such that their open ends are distanced equally as far or farther from the base than the free end of the dowel pin. Through this construction, the dowel pins and the respective pin openings ensure with very tight positional tolerances that the optimal contact position between both connector pieces is found. The special arrangement of the guide elements prevents unintended contact or even bending of the one or the several dowel pins in the cleaning position of the socket. In this respect, the guide elements also serve as a protection of the respective dowel pin.
In order that the socket sets in its function position and can be secured against being moved into its cleaning position unintentionally, if the first connector piece is not plugged into the socket, a transport cover that covers the socket can be provided that can be plugged with a plug section instead of the first connector piece into the socket that has been adjusted to its function position, wherein the plug section of the transport cover is dimensioned to interact with the guide elements such that a positive-fit between the guide elements and the socket is formed over the plug section in plug direction of the socket.
Other important characteristics and benefits of the invention emerge from the subclaims, from the drawings and from the respective figure descriptions by means for the drawings.